Last weekend, a group of Ukrainian soldiers came across an abandoned armored car in Kharkiv Oblast. It was a piece of Russian equipment that is normally only seen in a museum. In advance it was clear that the Russians had taken old T-62 tanks from the warehouses and sent them to the front in Ukraine. Production of the T-62 ended in 1975. By then well over ten thousand of them had rolled out of Soviet factories since 1961. Lost everything The Ukrainian defense forces claim they have destroyed or captured more tanks than the Russians used during the invasion in February. – At best, the Russians had approximately 2,500 fairly modern tanks when the invasion began, says head teacher Palle Ydstebø at the War College. Independent sources analyzing images and video give a lower figure than the Ukrainian authorities. Nevertheless, it is clear that the visually documented losses are large. The analysts behind the website Oryx report that Russia has lost at least 1,122 tanks since February 24 this year. 356 of them have been conquered by the Ukrainians. This alone makes Russia the largest donor of equipment to the Ukrainian army. In addition, the Russians have lost several thousand armored personnel carriers, armored personnel carriers, artillery vehicles, towed artillery, air defense systems and trucks. OVER A THOUSAND LOST: A burnt-out Russian BMP-2 in Ukraine. At least the Russians have lost 1,253 armored personnel carriers so far. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Inexhaustible stocks In June, it was estimated that the Russians used up 50,000 artillery shells a day. The Russian stocks have been described as more or less inexhaustible. The American think tank The Jamestown Foundation believes that the stocks are in no way inexhaustible. – With current consumption, the Russian reserves will be used up in four to six months, reported The Jamestown Foundation in June. Published figures indicate that the Russians had at the beginning of the year 1.3 to 1.5 million tonnes of ammunition for their most common guns. During the first four months of the invasion, they used an estimated 600,000 tons. BIG CONSUMERS: Heavy Russian artillery in Ukraine. Such weapons can consume several tons of ammunition per day. Photo: MoD Russia / AP North Korea In the last two months, the Ukrainians have carried out a campaign to destroy Russian ammunition stockpiles. This has led to a reduction in Russian artillery use. It has probably also led to the Russians turning over a lot of rocks to get hold of more ammunition. American intelligence reports that the Russians are buying several million grenades and rockets from North Korea. This is written by the New York Times, among others. – The Kremlin should be concerned that they need to buy anything at all from North Korea, says Mason Clark to the newspaper. He is head of the Russia office at the Institute for the Study of War. DESTROYER: American missiles delivered to the Ukrainians have hit yet another Russian ammunition depot. Dozens of such warehouses have been blown up in the past two months. Photo: AP Ailing stockpiles of missiles One of the most destructive and precise weapons the Russians have used in Ukraine is the Iskander ballistic missile. The Russians have used many of them, but now stocks may be close to critically low. Ukrainian analysts believe that the Russians have only about 200 Iskanders left. Stocks of the modern Kalibr cruise missile are also starting to run out. – The Russians now use many old missiles. They also use S-300 anti-aircraft missiles for ground attacks. It is an indication that they have few of the modern weapons left, says Palle Ydstebø. IMPRESSIVE STRIKE POWER: Head teacher at the War School, Palle Ydstebø says that the Russians are now using many old missiles with poor precision. He believes that the missiles work if you want to terrorize a civilian population, but do not work so well against military targets. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød / news Destroying itself In addition to the claimed and documented losses, the Russians lose a lot of equipment due to wear and tear. – It has been going on continuously since February. You know that when a car has driven 800,000 kilometers it is a wreck, says head teacher at the Staff School, Geir Åge Karlsen. He describes an operational environment where mechanical and electrical parts break down. The Ukrainians claimed early on that the Russians are struggling to repair equipment that has broken down. In particular, spare parts such as electronic components are hard to come by because of the sanctions, the Ukrainians claimed. The artillery also breaks down. Every time a shell goes through the barrel of the gun it gets a little more worn. After approximately two to four thousand firings, the tube must be replaced. SPOILS OF WAR: Ukrainian tanks. Many of these were left behind by the Russians due to mechanical problems or empty fuel tanks. The Ukrainians repair them and put them into service. Photo: HANDOUT / AFP The biggest problem Head teacher Karlsen believes it may be sensible for the Russians to send stored T-62s into the war when they have to replace the losses of the more modern tanks. – They have a cannon. They have hoods that provide protection to the crew. They are also very simple mechanically and electrically. They withstand long-term storage much better than more modern wagons, says Karlsen. MANY DEAD: This Russian soldiers lost their lives on the first day of the invasion. The Ukrainians claim that over 50,000 others have followed him to the grave. Photo: Vadim Ghirda / AP What is described as the biggest problem for the Russians is not the loss of equipment, but the loss of personnel. – The defeat in Kharkiv county reflects the structural problems. Russia lacks soldiers and those who remain have low morale, says analyst Michael Kofman to the Washington Post. ONE OF MANY: The turret of a Russian tank lies in a Ukrainian field. The Ukrainians claim that 2,193 tanks have been lost. Photo: VALENTYN OGIRENKO / Reuters
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Russian weapons stockpiles are being emptied – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
